Will the exit of Vaghela help BJP in central Gujarat?

Has the exit of former Chief Minister, Shankarsinh Vaghela helped the BJP in the Gujarat assembly elections? The BJP feels that it would be able to improve its tally in Central Gujarat thanks to Vaghela quitting the Congress.

Party leaders said they were also banking on the candidates who had switched over to the BJP from the Congress, and the consolidation against the Patidar agitation in the region, which is often called the KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) belt. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the absence of Vaghela's outfit Jan Vikalp Morcha from the contest would benefit the BJP.

However, Dhamesh Mehta, the RSS organisational secretary in charge of the region, felt the fight was tougher this time. He agreed with Tomar on the Vaghela factor. "Vaghelaji's absence will help the BJP. Otherwise, it would have been difficult because he is a dominant figure among all castes of the Kshatriyas and has a hold over 8 per cent of the vote, Mehta said.

OneIndia News